Inconnu Wine, Napa, CA (IL Only)

AOC: Works with many vineyards in Sonoma, Clarksburg, Contra Costa County, and more. Varieties: Anything that has the potential to make great wineViticulture: Organic (some vineyards certified)Size: A tiny warehouse in NapaTerroir: Sand, Silt, Clay, Loam, Volcanic, and many variations of these

"I did not go to school for winemaking, matter of fact, I did not go to college until I had already starting working in wine, and only briefly due to a fleeting obsession with becoming a neuroscientist.

My earliest introductions to wine were stealing the cast aside bottles my parents' friends would bring over for parties (they were not wine drinkers in the slightest), snatching bottles from a hotel my boyfriend and I worked at in high school, and drinking it from the bottle at the punk shows of my youth... the content getting better over the years.

Though I am originally a native of the Washington DC Area, I moved to the Bay Area when I was 22 to become a tattoo artist, but instead spent the majority of my time on bicycles, collecting records, reading books, drinking beer, and touring around the US with bands. In my mid 20s I moved to Barcelona where I was very involved with performance poetry, experimental music, and truly developed my love for beautifully simple food, and low intervention wine.

After sending off a very embellished CV, I moved back to California in 2011 to work a winemaking internship at Unti in the Dry Creek Valley. Despite much skepticism from peers, I made my first vintage the following year, figuring the only way I'd ever been good at learning things was by doing them myself, and learning from my own mistakes and successes. In 2013 in hopes of learning more about vineyards I began an internship with Matthiasson, which was without a doubt an invaluable experience that I will forever be grateful for.

My wines are made with spontaneous ferments, low sulfur, low intervention, and ethically farmed grapes. All of that said, I am not dogmatic in my practices, and believe that good wine is the ultimate goal."

Lalalu California, Chardonnay:Vine age between 20-30 years, farmed organically (with the exception of mealybug pheromone traps that don’t even work as an application on the plants, but hinder them from being able to certify), alluvial clay loam soils, deficit irrigated in drought years, but dry farmed otherwise, native ferment in stainless, aged in stainless on the lees (and a few neutral barrels).

Lalalu California, Rose:Mostly Mourvedre, some Cab Franc and Merlot, farmed organically, native ferment in stainless, soils a combination of sandy clay loam, and decomposed granite, aged in neutral barrels, some not topped to develop flor, per usual. The grapes are picked on acidity, which allows the wine to go through ml, but maintain good structure, as well as the ability to age. Unfined, unfiltered.

Lalalu California, Cabernet Franc:Vines 15-25 years old, combination of alluvial soils, and sandy clay loam, farmed organically, some with the exception of mealybug pheromone traps that don’t even work as an application on the plants, but hinder them from being able to certify, light gentle native fermentation, pressed as soon as dry, aged in neutral barrels

INCONNU Sonoma - Carneros, Cabernet Sauvignon:Single vineyard old vine (up to 80 years old, and possibly the oldest planting on Napa and Sonoma), farmed organically, Carneros “gumbo” soils… think clay loam, and a ton of other random stuff, native ferment in a 1.5 ton vat, slow cool ferment, two weeks on the skins post fermentation, aged for 18 months in a mix of neutral and twice used Sylvain Signature barrels.

INCONNU Sonoma - Carneros, Merlot:Single vineyard Western facing hillside, farmed organically, vine age 20-25 years, Carneros “gumbo” soils… think clay loam, and a ton of other random stuff, native ferment in a 1.5 ton vat, slow cool ferment, two weeks on the skins post fermentation, aged for 18 months in a mix of neutral and twice used Demptos barrels.

INCONNU Clarksburg, Chardonnay:Vine age between 20-30 years, alluvial clay loam soils, farmed organically (with the exception of mealybug pheromone traps that don’t even work as an application on the plants, but hinder them from being able to certify), deficit irrigated in drought years, but dry farmed otherwise, native ferment in stainless, aged in neutral barrels on the lees for one year.

INCONNU Clarksburg, Chenin Blanc:About 300 yards as the crow flies from the Sacramento River, silty clay loam soils, farmed organically (with the exception of mealybug pheromone traps that don’t even work as an application on the plants, but hinder them from being able to certify), deficit irrigated in drought years, but dry farmed otherwise, native ferment in stainless, aged in neutral barrels on the lees for one year (lees aging makes the wine take a little longer to come around in bottle, but if you taste it now, it will all make sense).​INCONNU Contra Costa, Merlot:Single vineyard, organically farmed (with biodynamic applications), sandy clay loam soils, native fermentation in 1.5 ton vats, very slow and cool fermentation, 16 months in neutral barrels.